Shifting Red Tide Expected to Move South

Strong gusts from the south triggered a resurgence of nasty tides and pungent air at earlier this week at Sarasota County beaches, especially Venice Beach.

By J. DAVID McSWANESARASOTA HERALD-TRIBUNE

Strong gusts from the south triggered a resurgence of nasty tides and pungent air at earlier this week at Sarasota County beaches, especially Venice Beach.The noxious air and sporadic fish kills brought by a large red tide bloom off the Southwest Florida coast should subside for most of Sarasota County, though, as strong northwesterly winds push the bloom toward Charlotte County.In January, the red tide bloom killed large numbers of fish as far north as Anna Maria in Manatee County, and south through Sarasota County, irritating beachgoers at the height of tourism season.But Sarasota beachgoers enjoyed a relatively nice beach day Thursday — many of them swimming and playing beach games — as 12-16 mph winds reversed to push the bloom southward.Although signs warned of red tide, dozens of people enjoyed Venice Beach on Thursday — even though the sound of coughing was prevalent."I'm coughing like crazy, and I don't smoke," said Carol Perry, who came from Fort Myers, where she said red tide conditions were worse.Yet Perry and her visiting friend, Peg Newbold of Ann Arbor, Mich., said they had no intention of leaving."I'm coughing a lot, too," Newbold said. "But I'm from Michigan and out of the snow. I'm not going anywhere until I get some sun."The bloom is expected to continue southward through the end of the week, according to the latest forecast models."It's turning around and going back south," said Jason Lenes, an expert with the Center for Prediction of Red Tide at the University of South Florida."It will probably move down to Charlotte County, down to Lee County or possibly off the coast," he added.The red tide, which first appeared last fall, has been the largest and most persistent to affect the area since 2007.